Steam-accumulator



J. K. RUTHS.

STEAM ACCUMULATOR.

A-PPLICATI 0,N FILED MAY 21, I918.

Patented Jan. 20, 1920.

[Ev %am P all UNITED STATES PATENT ormon.

J'OHANNES KARL RUTI-IS, OF DJURSHOLM, SWEDEN, ASSIGNQR T AK'IIEIBOLAGE'I I VAPORACKUMULATOR, OF STOGKHOLM, SWEDEN.

STEAM-ACCUMULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 20, 1920.

Application filed May 21, 1918. Serial No. 235,892.

, To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JoHANNEs KARL siding at Djursholm, Sweden, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Accumulators, of which the following is a specification. Y

. Steam accumulators may be employed in steam plants for compensation of, for stance, variations in the steam supply or steam consumption.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing shows diagrammatically the principle of such an accumulator. Z is a conduit supplying the steam to the accumulator a for instance from the steam-generator A, and Z, the pipe for conducting steam from the accumulator to a steam consumer B, which in the present case is av turbine provided with a condenser C.

In Z and Z, the necessary valves are arranged. The accumulator is shown as consisting of an insulated receptacle, containing water.

To prevent back-flow of the water from the accumulator to the supply conduit i a non-return valve R, is arranged in the said conduit (in all cases, whgre the different elevations do not prevent such a back-flow).

An arrangement according to Fig. 1, howw ever, has-the considerable drawback, that in any case all steammust pass through the accumulator a. As a consequence thereof, when, as usual, water is used as the accumulating medium, water-particles will be carried along in the escaping steam; when super-heated steam is employed the heat of superheat will be absorbed by the water, so

' that in l only saturated steam flows, though super-heated steam was perhaps wanted.

Another drawback, when accumulators, in

which another medium than water is used for the accumulation of the heat, is, that if large quantities of steam are wanted, it

often is diflicult to lead the total desired steam quantity through the outlet and inlet conduits ofthe accumulator; if these con duits were built for the whole quantity,- they would be too large. 4

According to my invention these drawbacks are avoided in that the steam accumulator and thesteam-conduits are connected in parallel and in theputlet-conduit of the accumulator, and eventually also in the inlet conduit thereof, a non-return valve is inserted.

In the accompanying drawing six dif-' ferent embodiments of my invention are shown in Figs. 27. Fig. 8 shows a detail of Fig.,,6 and Fig. 9 a suitable construction of the non-return valve.

In the embodiment according to Fig. 2 the accumulator is connected in parallel to the piping Z Z Z by means of the steam supply pipe Z,, in which the non-return valve R for preventing a back-flow of the water inthe accumulator into the supply pipe Z is inserted, and the steam discharging pipe Z In order to force the charging steam through the water, a non-return valve R is arranged also in the "pipe Z preventing a back-flow from Z or Z into the accumulator, but allowing -a flow of steam from the accumulator through Z The non-return valves R, and R, can be of any known type. In Fig. 9 a preferred construction of such a valve is shown. The valve-body is in this embodiment pressed against its seat by means of a spring.

The arrangement works in the following manner: If throiggh the piping Z more steam is supplied than will be consumed in the piping Z then the pressure in the piping I, will be increased to some degree and the valve R, will be opened, the surplus steam thus entering the accumulator. In the accumulator the steam is condensed. On the other hand, if the steam supplied through the, piping Z is not enough to cover the p in construction is, that the piping Z 1s connected to the piping Z, above the non-return valve R the part Z, of the piping therefore is omitted and is replaced by the shorter piping Z between Z and Z, on one side and Z and Z on the other side.

While the non-return valve B, does not offer. any constructive difliculties, it is differentwith the non-return valve R The first mentioned one only has to tighten against water, while the last one must tighten against steamj cit account hereof it is impossible to prevent-leakage of steam from Z into the accumulator a, as the valve R can not be-made quite tight.

This leakage will result in the following inconvenience:

The quantity of steam which leaks in from Z will be gathered in the steam-space of the accumulator, and, as in most cases the difference in temperature between the steam and the waterds very small and only a small quantity of steam will be condensed, a higher steam-pressure will occur'above the water of the. accumulator than what corresponds to the temperature of the water.-

Therefore the steam-pressure, required for charging the accumulator,which is the pressure of the piping Z in its turn must be increased, which 1nc'rease again w1ll cause still more steam to enter the steam-space and soon. One will thus find, that the accumulator never can be charged to a pressure,

corresponding 'to the pressure of the piping,

as a result of which its capacity under such circumstances can be considerably reduced. These drawbacks, however, maybe reme died in different manners and, in Figs. 4, 5

'6 and 7 some different arrangements are shown, by means of which the said drawfor at least a part of the Water-quantity,-

which escapes in form of steam. p Fig. 5 shows another embodiment, in which a considerably simpler. method is used. Into the steam-space of the accumulator opens a tube n of small diameter, through which a quantity of steam continu ally can escape from the steam space of the accumulator, this quantity of steambeing.

. somewhat greater than that one leaking suitable manner. p I

through the valve.- The steam escaping through the piping '21 may be blown off into a piping'with lower pressure or led into the feed-water receptacle in order to be con- 7 other densed or it can be employed in any i In 6 a modification of the arrangethe steam-quantity in Z, suddenly is reduced,

the pressure in the pipings will be increased to some extent and steam will flow partly through R, and partly also in form of leakage-steam through R into the accumulator. Since the steam-quantity through Z in most cases is considerably greater than the leakage of steam through R, a suction effect will arise in 'v, causing steam from the steamspace of the accumulator to return over n, '0, Z, and It to the water-space of the accumulator, where it is condensed.

In certain cases an arrangement according to Fig. 7 may be used. The accumulator is in this case working between a high chargpressure (for ifistanceQ kg.) The charging pressure is during the whole time constantly 6 kg. and the charging-quantity is regulated by means of the valve V; the discharging pressure can-be held constant by means of a reducing-valve D of any known type. In this case, if the leaking-steam can not be constantly employed, a safety-valve S may steanbpiping'and provided with independ- 100 ent .charging and discharge conduits, a nonreturn valve in the discharging-conduit and .a non-return valve in the charging conduit.

v 2. An arrangement as specified in. claim 1 .ing-pressure (tor instance 6 kg.) and a low in which an exhaust conduit leading from the steam-space of the accumulator is provided for the steam leaking into the steamspace throughthe non-return valve in the discharge conduit.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHANNES KARL RUTHS.

Witnesses:

FRrrz E. DALLIN, K JAcoB BAGGE. 

